Many countries create cartels to control the price of important commodities because they want to maximize their income or protect key domestic industries. But the use of cartels is criticized for causing higher prices for consumers. We investigate the pros and cons of cartels through the example of the maple syrup industry.

When it comes to borrowing money on the international financial markets, several countries of sub-Saharan Africa can now access money at cheaper rates than some European nations. The change is historic and could open up exciting opportunities for the continent.

Despite outnumbering men as college graduates within OECD countries, women are still underrepresented at the very top managerial levels, particularly in finance and business.
In this podcast a group of women veterans of Wall Street describe how they got to Wall Street, what they found there, and offer advice to young women who want to get there.
Read the associated article from Finance & Development magazine:
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2013/06/fang.htm

Many of the economies of sub-Saharan Africa are performing better than much of Europe. In fact, the region has just completed one of the best decades of growth since the 1960s. This is because it has learnt lessons from the past, say Uganda's finance minister, Maria Kiwanuka who is optimistic about the outlook for the continent.